Journal
LAB ON A CHIP
Volume 20, Issue 3, Pages 525-536Publisher
ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00621d
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Biochemical Diagnostics Foundry for Translational Research
- NIH [R01HD090660]
- Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation
- NSF GRFP [2018261576]
- NSF DMR [1807398]
- Mary Gates Endowment for Students
- University of Washington
- NSF through the University of Washington Materials Research Science and Engineering Center [DMR-1719797]
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health
- Division Of Materials Research
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien [1807398] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Patterned deposition and 3D fabrication techniques have enabled the use of hydrogels for a number of applications including microfluidics, sensors, separations, and tissue engineering in which form fits function. Devices such as reconfigurable microvalves or implantable tissues have been created using lithography or casting techniques. Here, we present a novel open-microfluidic patterning method that utilizes surface tension forces to form hydrogel layers on top of each other, into a patterned 3D structure. We use a patterning device to form a temporary open microfluidic channel on an existing gel layer, allowing the controlled flow of unpolymerized gel in device-regions. After layer gelation and device removal, the process can be repeated iteratively to create multi-layered 3D structures. The use of open-microfluidic and surface tension-based methods to define the shape of each individual layer enables patterning to be performed with a simple pipette and with minimal dead-volume. Our method is compatible with unmodified (native) biological hydrogels, and other non-biological materials with precursor fluid properties compatible with capillary flow. With our open-microfluidic layer-by-layer fabrication method, we demonstrate the capability to build agarose, type I collagen, and polymer-peptide 3D structures featuring asymmetric designs, multiple components, overhanging features, and cell-laden regions.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available